A New Beginning to the End of the World
by puffinperfection
Summary: AU. The end of the world was something Lili Vogel-Zwingli never expected to live to see. She never thought she'd become a wasteland wanderer, or find her love through the apocalypse. Until she met Marcello Vargas, she never saw the end of the world as a new beginning
1. Chapter 1

Some people said that the apocalypse and the infection was caused by global warming. They said that the carbon dioxide and the ultraviolet rays messed up the climate in an outrageous way. Machinery overheated, power lines blew out, crops died, water evaporated. To them, the environment caused the world to fail and heat drove so many to madness.

Others would say that nuclear plant disfunction caused this. None of the believers of that theory could name where it started, but decontamination of the air caused plants to wither and die. Water became affected, and by drinking the water, the brains of the drinkers thus became affected. To these people, contamination of drinking water drove every other person crazy.

The final group of people believed this "madness" was the first sign of zombie infection. They swear that infected animals bit some of the world's population, and in any good zombie tale, the infected carried on from there. Though most people refused to believe so, this was the most reasonable theory.

Fourteen-year-old Lili Vogel-Zwingli's brother thought like that.

Vash Zwingli was a bitter, somewhat cheap, trigger-happy man. He had had an entire stock of firearms at their old home, and he had been preparing for this moment since who knows when. It was as if he expected this to happen, and Lili was certain he had. He never told her directly, nor had he ever mentioned it in a conversation that Lili had happened to overhear. She simply had a gut feeling that this was what Vash kept all those "camping supplies" were.

She believe those were just camping supplies until the madness came about.

Lili couldn't remember exactly when this all started; she had been asleep and Vash woke her up at an ungodly hour, saying they had to leave. He handed her a handgun and two small backpacks and told her to stay alert. She didn't question his antics, she just thought there was a criminal in the village and they had to escape safely.

She noticed things were getting strange when, about an hour and a half later, the duo had arrived at the home of her uncle Roderich (who wasn't really her uncle, she simply called him so out of kindness).

She remembered Roderich and his wife Elizabeta in nightclothes and Vash telling them to get their son Bailey and something more Lili couldn't remember. Elizabeta woke Bailey up, Vash handed the older two a backpack each (and Lili handed her second one to her "cousin"). Then, the five of them were off.

* * *

Now here they were, in the middle of an abandoned village. They had been walking for God-knows how long, and most of them (excluding Vash) were exhausted. Vash refused to let them stop between breakfast and their assigned resting time. Lili didn't complain, she knew it was for her safety. Everyone knew how the infected would get anything that would stand still for two seconds.

"Brother," she said as she adjusted the backpack over her shoulder, "how much longer until we get to the city you've been searching for?"

"A few more cities," Vash said, though each of them knew that meant, "Don't ask, just keep walking". He turned to his group. "Come on, keep up! Even though it's still nice now, if we don't keep moving, it'll be winter before we get there. Winter will do us no good, it'll only slow us down." Lili had observed that those demands were said while her brother was glaring at Roderich. She wasn't surprised, Vash didn't say like he cared any about Roderich. However, she knew deep down that he was up for keeping Roderich safe. They all did.

Lili did a double-take to make sure Vash wasn't looking (he was always strict about keeping a tightly knit line when wandering) and dropped back to Elizabeta, who stood in the back of the line. Her long, light brown hair was tied back from her face, her sleeves were pulled up, and she held her gun as if she were expecting for someone to come and attack her. Like Vash, she was always alert and prepared for nearly anything. Unlike Vash, she actually had a relaxed side to her.

"Hey, Lili," Elizabeta said coolly, lowering her weapon to her side. "Do you need something?"

"No," the ten replied simply. "I just want to know; do you think Vash has been acting different lately? Stricter than usual?"

"I haven't observed anything differe–" Elizabeta stopped in the middle of her sentence and raised her weapon at the sound of multiple twigs snapping ahead. Vash stopped in his track and the rest of the group followed in his actions.

"Elizabeta, Roderich, Bailey," Vash instructed in a stern tone. "I want you two to search on that side of the street." Lili cringed at her brother's tone; it was sharp enough to cut bread. "Lili, I want you to follow me."

Lili gave her aunt, uncle, and cousin a longing look. "Brother, may I go with Elizabeta?"

"I'd rather you stay with me." She knew that she should've expected that response. Vash was aiming to protect her, and he would do just that. They two started this journey together, and the both wanted to end it together.

"Alright." She threw another look to the other three, then another to the alley where she had heard the noise. How she wanted to go and investigate for herself. She could kill the crazies, if that was what the noisemaker was. Vash was always commenting on her impeccable aim.

She heard another twig snap – this one louder than the first – and a string of cursing. She gave Vash an apologetic look and turn away quietly, tiptoeing to the alleyway and hoping that no one – Vash, Elizabeta, Roderich, or Bailey – would catch her. She was just curious, and found herself getting more so whenever the noisemaker (who obviously wasn't very graceful) made himself more obvious.

Lili leaned up against the wall, right behind where the walls met. She was about to creep forward to see what was behind the corner, but immediately stopped when she heard voices from behind it. She strained to hear what was being said.

"Hurry up, you two. We're not going to make it to Mystalopolis if you sit around."

Mystalopolis. That was the name of the city Vash was traveling to.

"But Lovino–"

"Don't you "but Lovino" me, Feliciano! If we don't get to Mystalopolis, I can't do justice on the bastard who shot Emma!" The speaker cocked his gun for effect, which caused Lili's shoulders to tighten and the man with him to whine so loud it sounded like a scream.

"Lovino, calm down." A third speaker had cut into the conversation. He sounded much like the other two, though his voice was smoother, and he sounded like a teenager. "Don't shoot Feli because he broke his ankle. Why don't we stay here for a while? I can wrap Feliciano's ankle up in cloth, you can find some food here, we could make a cozy nook of our own here."

The first speaker gave an audible groan, and Lili couldn't help but roll her eyes. That group was so many shades of obvious, and if a hoarde of of crazies or raiders (people who attacked wanderers like Vash and this group of strangers for food and supplies who Lili had never encountered) were to come by, they'd be dead meat.

"Fine, but if Feliciano gets us killed, I'll killed him!"

The second speaker whimpered once again, obviously not noticing that the first couldn't kill him if they were already dead. Lili was beginning to think this group was not too bright.

"Excuse me," she piped, taking another step forward. The group had gone silent, and as she approached them, the first speaker gave a string of curse words and said something she couldn't make out. The one next to him nodded and the two began to run down the right branch of the alley. The last one, who was still on the ground, began to whine and screamed for them to come back.

"Lovino, Marcello, come back!" This man, who turned out to be the second speaker, tried to push himself from the ground, though his ankle kept him from doing so. "Please, please, don't leave me here!"

For the fifth time or so that day, Lili rolled her eyes. This man was terribly pathetic. She placed her gun in its holster and pulled out the flashlight Vash had given her. She pointed it in the direction of the man on the ground.

He was quite skinny, and had reddish-brown hair and golden brown eyes. "Don't hurt me, I'm not a crazy!" he yelled at seeing Lili. He cowered farther into the wall. "Please, little girl, I'll do anything!"

"Don't call me "little girl"," Lili said, flicking her light off. "I've got a few questions for you."

* * *

_Here we have it, the first chapter to, "A New Beginning to the End of the World"! If you shave my figured out, Bailey is KugelMugel. This is a gift fic for Madam Platypus, who is currently writing and amazing Seborga/Liechtenstein fic of her own. Seriously, go check it out. _

_As for "Amnesia and a Letter Never Sent", I'll get to work on it soon. Unlike this and "Fire and Ice", it's not being written on paper during my school hours and then copied onto my phone. It was started on my dad's laptop, which has been in the shop for God-know how long. As soon as it comes back, I'll update. Promise, my lovelies._

_Ms Maddie_


	2. Chapter 2

"Lovino... I think we've gone... far enough," Marcello Vargas panted as his eldest brother Lovino collapsed against a brick wall. "Besides, we..." Pant. "Need to get back..." Pant. "To Feliciano."

"No way!" Lovino looked up at his sixteen-year-old brother as if he had just suggested the two sacrifice themselves to Satan. "Feliciano or ourselves? Just think, that raider won't find a damn purpose in harming or abducting him once they find out how pathetic he is."

Marcello looked up at the other. His mind was swarming with a lot to say to Lovino, many so much nicer than the single one he was yearning to scream to the world. Of course, that would only set Lovino off much more, and all the Vargas siblings (though one was a few blocks away) needed to get along at the moment.

"Lovino," Marcello said, his tone serious and less laid-back than usual, "remember Miss Emma?"

The older one's expression softened. Yes, it was obvious that he remembered her. Why wouldn't he? "Shut up," he said gruffly, quietly. The younger shook his head and approached his brother.

"Don't you remember how you felt when Mr. Antonio shot her?" A very grave expression crossed Lovino's face. Of course he had.

Miss Emma, Emma Peeters, was the co-owner of the Peeters-de Graaf Café that the Vargas brothers so often visited for dinner. It wasn't because they were so in love with the food (because the food was quite delectable), but because Lovino had fallen head-over-heels for Emma. It only took three trips to the café for Marcello to figure out his eldest brother's crush; he'd been around and knew flirting when he saw it.

It was actually surprising that Emma didn't return the feelings. Of course, she never said this directly to Lovino, but she had told Marcello (who knew to keep the secret). Lovino never did give up, though, and disregarded the fact that she was three years his senior. Since Emma was the nice enough to play along, she accepted the flowers and gifts Lovino gave her. The two even went out a couple of times.

When the world went to Hell, Lovino's immediate reaction was to pack necessities and take his two siblings to fetch Emma and her two siblings (Lars de Graaf and Sophia Peeters). His plan was that the two families could wander to safety.

Lovino's plan didn't go as well as he thought it would.

Three days into their expedition, the group had their first encounter with the Crazies. The fight with the hoard of Crazies went well; a few were killed by Lovino and his gang and the rest by a group of rather unwanted raiders that joined them during the fight. At first Lovino decided to have no objections with the raiders, since his group needed all the support they could get.

It wasn't until later that the group caused an issue. Yes, Marcello could remember the scene as clear as rain...

* * *

_It had been a few hours since the two groups had joined forces. A pact between raiders and wanderers, as they annoying gray-haired guy with crimson eyes had put it. The idea wasn't very snazzy, but it'd have to work. Marcello knew they wouldn't've gotten much farther if Antonio, Francis, Cecilia, Gilbert, and Ludwig hadn't joined._

_He looked behind him, where Emma was trailing a few feet behind the rest of the group._ Maybe she's hungry, _he thought_ _as he observed her heavy stepping and grave expression._

_Sophia seemed to notice this as well. 'Em, are you okay?" she asked as she dropped back from the main group. "You don't look to well."_

_"Soph, I'm fine," Emma assured as she quickly clutched her left arm to her chest in a manner that suggested she were hiding something. "Just a little under the weather."_

_"Guys, we should stop for the night," Sophia called out, not minding that Emma had to her she was fine. Her older sister's face paled as she continued with, "Emma's looking really sick."_

_"It's nothing, really. We should get going." However, her pleas meant nothing and the entire team had surrounded her in record time._

_"What's wrong?" Lovino asked, shoving to the front of the crowd. He looked Emma up and down,placing a hand on her forehead, feeling to see if the lymph nodes in her neck were swollen... though he was no doctor, he knew symptoms of illness._

_"Lovi, please, it's nothing..."_

_"Why are you holding your arm like that?"_

_Everyone slowly turned to face Lars, who was in the back. They slowly parted to let him through to his sister, and he laid a hand on her arm._

_"Let me see it," he said, sounding stern but still genuinely concerned. Emma shook her head and Lars tugged on it lightly. "Emma, please."_

_"No!" Emma persisted, but her brother's strength was much more than the will to hide her arm. Pulled away, a large, incredibly bloody gash was revealed on her arm. Marcello and Sophia gasped, Feliciano gave a fearful cry, and the rest just stood with gaping mouths and wide eyes._

_"Emma..." Lovino's eyes traveled from the wound to her own forest green ones, which basically screamed an apology._

_"I didn't want you guys to worry," Emma said, her voice slowly and cracking with every other word. She looked up with Antonio with sorrowful eyes and nodded, closing her eyes. "I'm really sorry for causing such commotion."_

_"I'm really sorry to have to do this," Antonio said, raising his firearm. Lovino's eyes widened, but before he could say anything, the Spaniard had pulled the trigger, the bullet hitting Emma square in the forehead._

_Everything was silent until..._

_"Bastard!" Lovino's eyes were wide with anger and hatred, and Lars and Ludwig had to hold him from attacking Antonio. "You piece of shit! Why did you do that? She did no harm!" He was kicking and screaming now, but still could not escape his restraint. "She was okay! She... she was perfectly fine!"_

_"I'm really sorry," Antonio said, placing a hand on the Italian's shoulder. He gave a small smile. "She's in a better place now, right?"  
_

_The Italian grimaced and swift;y turned his head to face the Spaniard. "I swear to God," he started, "if I ever see you again, I will make sure to kill you." Lars and Ludwig let him go, and he shoved past Antonio. "And don't think I don't know where you'll be. You've already told us you'll be seeking refuge in Mystalopolis." Lovino turned to his brothers. "Marcello, Feliciano, we're going our own way."_

_Feliciano took a step forward, then looked back at the raider group, Lars, and Sophia. He winced as if he didn't want to leave._

_"Come on, Feliciano," Marcello said with a positive tone. "It'll be fun to wander with Lovino." He didn't know if that'd be true or not, but it would take everything to coax Feliciano from the protection of the others._

_"Oh... okay." Feliciano inched towards his brothers. "I'll see you guys later." Before he could hear any replies, Lovino had dragged him away from the rest. It was obvious that he wasn't eager to stay._

* * *

"Just imagine how you would feel if that raider-girl shot Feliciano down," Marcello instructed in an understanding tone.

"He's my little brother, so I'd be pretty damn pissed!"

"I rest my case." Marcello crossed his arms over his chest and took a few steps ahead of Lovino. "Now, are you coming or not?"

"I'm coming, calm down." Lovino straightened up from the wall and approached his youngest brother. The two began to make their way back in Feliciano's direction.

"Do you think the girl who cornered him is hot?" Marcello asked hopefully.

A sigh was heard from Lovino. "Don't get your hopes up, kid."


End file.
